The Wedding I Thought Would Be Pure Joy
Lily met Ethan in college.
He studied engineering. He had an easy smile and a goofy laugh that made even Lily roll her eyes—then smile anyway.
She tested him at first.
Lily has a built-in screening process from a childhood where trust was expensive.
Ethan passed every silent exam.
When she got engaged, she told me over breakfast like it was casual.
I nearly choked on my toast.
She laughed, and for a second she looked five again, not twenty-eight.
The wedding was small but beautiful.
A cozy event hall with soft string lights and white lilies on every table.
